Israeli's largest-ever lottery jackpot winner felt 'light' from winning numbers

Feb. 7 (UPI) -- A man who won NIS 80,000 ($25 million) in Israel's largest jackpot over the weekend in his first time playing said he felt a "light'" from the winning numbers.

"I saw commercials about the high prize and decided, for the first time in my life, to fill out a lottery ticket," he told The Times of Israel. "The moment I saw the winning numbers I knew that they looked familiar. I felt a kind of 'light' that I can't explain."

The winner is a man in his 30s, a resident of the central region, married and the father of three children, and he is a partner in aesthetics business, Channel 13 News in Israel reported.

He woke his wife up to tell her the news, according to both media outlets, and they stayed up talking until the early morning.

"I whispered in my wife's ear, telling her I think we've won the lottery," he said. "She didn't really understand at first. ... Despite the late hour, I immediately called my close family to tell them the news. I couldn't sleep. The adrenalin didn't allow me to. My wife and I were sitting in the living room and talking until 6 a.m."

During their chat, they decided to prioritize gifts to family members, Channel 13 reported.

Then, he went to work as usual, before he went to claim the prize on Sunday afternoon.

"We don't lack for anything," he told Channel 13. "My career provides for my family, and we're content with our lifestyle. But there's always room for improvement, and one thing is sure -- we will secure the future of our children and our families."